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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tube — a container
  4. toast — bread
  5. branch — a division
  6. bulb — for light
  7. capital — a city
  8. roll — a list
  9. rash — hasty
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bulb — for light
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. capital — money
  16. roll — a cake
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. rash — a series
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. bear — the animal
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bulb — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com